Equinor 2023 Annual Report on Form 20-F
7
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This 2023 Form 20-F F (including information incorporated
herein from the 2023 Integrated Annual Report)
contains certain forward-looking
statements that involve risks and uncertainties, in
particular in the sections incorporated by reference in
Item 4 of this 2023 Form 20-F. In
some cases, we use words such as "aim", "ambition",
"anticipate", "believe", "continue", “commit”, "could",
"estimate", "expect", "intend",
"likely", "objective", "outlook", "may", "plan", "schedule",
"seek", "should", "strategy", "target", "will", "goal" and
similar expressions to identify
forward-looking statements. All statements other than
statements of historical fact, including: the commitment
to develop as a broad energy
company and diversify our energy mix; the ambition
to be a leading company in the energy
transition; ambition to reach net zero by 2050
and
expectations regarding progress on our energy
transition plan; our ambitions regarding reduction
in operated emissions and net carbon
intensity and allocation of gross capex* to renewables
and low carbon solutions; our ambitions and
expectations regarding decarbonisation;
our ambition to maintain value in oil and gas,
focus on high value growth in renewables and
contribute to maturing CCS and hydrogen
markets; ambition to attain a leadership position
in the European CCS market and expectations regarding
market share for storage and
hydrogen; aims, expectations and plans for renewables production
capacity and power generation, investments in
renewables and low-carbon
solutions and the balance between oil and gas and
renewables production; our expectations with respect
to net carbon intensity, operated
emissions, carbon and methane intensity and flaring
reductions; our internal carbon price and other
financial metrics for investment decisions;
break-even considerations and targets; robustness of
our portfolio; aims and expectations regarding
Equinor’s resilience across different
climate scenarios; future levels of, and expected value
creation from, oil and gas production, scale and
composition of the oil and gas portfolio,
and development of CCS and hydrogen businesses;
plans to develop fields; our intention to optimise
and mature our portfolio; future
worldwide economic trends, market outlook and
future economic projections and assumptions, including
commodity price assumptions;
expectations and plans regarding capital expenditures;
future financial performance, including earnings,
cash flow, liquidity and return on
average capital employed (ROACE)*; the ambition
to grow cash flow and returns; expectations regarding
cash flow and returns from our oil
and gas portfolio and renewables and low carbon
solutions portfolio; organic capital expenditures for 2024;
expectations and estimates
regarding production and execution of projects;
the ambition to keep unit of production cost in
the top quartile of our peer group; scheduled
maintenance activity and the effects thereof on equity production;
business strategy and competitive position; sales,
trading and market
strategies; research and development initiatives and
strategy, including ambitions regarding allocation of research and development
capital
towards renewables and low carbon-solutions; expectations
related to production levels, unit production cost,
investments, exploration
activities, discoveries and development in connection
with our ongoing transactions and projects;
our ambitions, expectations and plans
regarding diversity and inclusion, employee training
and supporting a just energy transition; plans
and expectations regarding completion and
results of acquisitions, disposals and other contractual
arrangements and delivery commitments; plans,
ambitions and expectations regarding
recovery factors and levels, future margins and future
levels or development of capacity, reserves or resources; planned turnarounds and
other maintenance activity; expectations regarding
growth in oil and gas, , including for volumes lifted and
sold to equal entitlement production,
and renewable power production; estimates related
to production and development, forecasts, reporting
levels and dates; operational
expectations, estimates, schedules and costs; expectations
relating to licences and leases; oil, gas, alternative
fuel and energy prices,
volatility, supply and demand; plans and expectations regarding processes
related to human rights laws, corporate
structure and
organizational policies; digitization, technological innovation,
implementation, position and expectations;
expectations regarding role and
composition of the board and our remuneration policies;
our goal of safe and efficient operations; effectiveness
of our internal policies and
plans; our ability to manage our risk exposure,
our liquidity levels and management of liquidity
reserves; future credit ratings; estimated or
future liabilities, obligations or expenses; expected
impact of currency and interest rate fluctuations;
projected outcome, impact or timing of
HSE regulations; HSE goals and objectives of
management for future operations; our ambitions
and plans regarding biodiversity (including
our
aim to develop a net-positive impact approach
for projects) and value creation for society; expectations
related to regulatory trends; impact of
PSA effects; projected impact or timing of administrative
or governmental rules, standards, decisions,
standards or laws (including taxation
laws); projected impact of legal claims against us;
plans for capital distribution, share buy-backs and
amounts and timing of dividends are
forward-looking statements.
You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Our actual results
could differ materially from those anticipated in
the forward-looking statements for many reasons, including
the risks factors incorporated in Item 3.D of this 2023
Form 20-
F.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of
future performance. They reflect current views
about future events, are based on
management’s current expectations and assumptions and are,
by their nature, subject to significant risks and
uncertainties because they
relate to events and depend on circumstances
that will occur in the future. There are a number
of factors that could cause actual results
and
developments to differ materially from those expressed or
implied by these forward-looking statements,
including levels of industry product
supply, demand and pricing, in particular in light of significant oil price
volatility; unfavourable macroeconomic conditions and
inflationary
pressures; exchange rate and interest rate fluctuations;
levels and calculations of reserves and material
differences from reserves estimates;
regulatory stability and access to resources, including
attractive low carbon opportunities; the effects of climate
change and changes in
stakeholder sentiment and regulatory requirements
regarding climate change; changes in market
demand and supply for renewables; inability
to meet strategic objectives; the development and use
of new technology; social and/or political instability, including as a result
of Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine and the conflict in the
Middle East; failure to prevent or manage digital
and cyber disruptions to our information and
operational technology systems and those of third parties
on which we rely; operational problems, including
cost inflation in capital and
operational expenditures; unsuccessful drilling; availability
of adequate infrastructure at commercially viable
prices; the actions of field partners
and other third-parties; reputational damage; the actions
of competitors; the actions of the Norwegian
state as majority shareholder and
exercise of ownership by the Norwegian state;
changes or uncertainty in or non-compliance
with laws and governmental regulations; adverse
changes in tax regimes; the political and economic
policies of Norway and other oil-producing countries;
regulations on hydraulic fracturing